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Hello everyone. We are moving to a new, bigger premises so website ordering will be closed for the next month while we move everything to our new building, reorganise and do a full stock take. We will not be taking any orders or able to reply to any messages during this time. We will be open again at the start of December. Many thanks. Console Passion

Sega Dreamcast

The Sega Dreamcast (Japanese: ドリームキャスト; code-named "Blackbelt", "Dural" and "Katana" during development) was Sega's last video game console.

When the time came to design the successor to the Sega Saturn, the new President of Sega, Shoichiro Irimajiri, took the unusual step of hiring an outsider. He hired Tatsuo Yamamoto from IBM Austin to head a skunkworks group to develop the next-generation console. However, it soon became apparent that the existing Japanese hardware group led by Hideki Sato did not want to relinquish control of hardware, and so there were two competing designs led by two different groups.

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The Japanese group led by Hideki Sato settled on an Hitachi SH4 processor with a PowerVR graphics processor developed by VideoLogic (now Imagination Technologies) and manufactured by NEC. This was originally codenamed "White Belt". The first Japanese prototype boards were silkscreened "Guppy" and the later ones "Katana".

The US skunkworks group (in a secret suite at the 303 Twin Dolphin Drive building) led by Tatsuo Yamamoto settled on an IBM/Motorola PowerPC 603e processor with a 3Dfx Voodoo 2 graphics processor, which was originally codenamed "Black Belt". The first US prototype boards were silkscreened "Shark" (in response to the Japanese "Guppy"). The Japanese hardware was codenamed "Dural", then later, Katana. This codename was only used by The US hardware team called themselves the "Black Belt team".

In July 1997, it was decided that the Japanese "Katana" would be the chosen format, renamed Dreamcast. In September 1997, 3Dfx filed a lawsuit against Sega and NEC (later including VideoLogic), claiming "breach of contract", although they later settled.

The Dreamcast was released on November 27, 1998 in Japan, on September 9, 1999 in the United States (the date 9/9/99 featured heavily in US promotion) and on October 14, 1999 in Europe. The tagline used to promote the console in the US was, "It's thinking", and in Europe "Up to 6 Billion Players". The vagueness of these campaigns and almost total lack of any in game footage has been touted as one of the reasons for the Dreamcast's eventual downfall. Many Americans knew that the Dreamcast was coming, but didn't know what one was.

The Dreamcast was the first console to include a built-in modem and Internet support for online gaming. It enjoyed brisk sales in its first season and was one of Sega's most successful hardware units. In the United States alone, a record 200,000 units had been pre-ordered before launch and Sega sold 500,000 consoles in just two weeks (including 225,000 sold on the first 24 hours which became a video game record until the PlayStation 2 launched a year later). In fact, due to brisk sales and hardware shortages, Sega was unable to fulfil all of the advance orders. Sega confirmed that it made $98.4 million on combined hardware and software sales with the Dreamcast with its September 9, 1999 launch. Sega even compared the record figure to the opening day gross of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, which made $28.5 million during the first 24 hours in theatres.

Before the launch in the United States, Sega had already taken the extra step in displaying Dreamcast capabilities in stores nationwide. Much like the PlayStation's launch in North America, the displays of titles such as Soul Calibur, Sonic Adventure, Power Stone and Hydro Thunder helped the Dreamcast succeed in the first year. Although Electronic Arts declined to support the Dreamcast which included the omission of its popular sports games (due in part to EA's losses from the past Sega Saturn), Sega Sports titles helped to fill that void.

In April 1999, Sony announced its PlayStation 2, designed to be backwards-compatible with the older PlayStation, and released the unit in Japan in March 2000. Sony's press release, despite being a year ahead of the launch of the PS2, was enough to divert a lot of attention from Sega. Even though Sega touted the Dreamcast's online capabilities (the PS2 would not go online until late 2002), American public attention was focused upon the PlayStation 2's ability to play DVDs (the DVD format did not catch on in Japan until after the release of the PS2 as VCD/SVCD were established standards). Electronic Arts also announced its support for the PS2. This, combined with the fact that SEGA had dropped support for the Saturn and did not offer backwards compatibility led to poorer sales in America (Sega CD and 32X are good examples of this).

On January 31, 2001, Sega announced that production of Dreamcast hardware was to be discontinued by March of that year, although the 50 to 60 titles still in production would be published. The last North American release was NHL 2K2, which was released in February of 2002. With the company announcing no plans to develop a next-generation successor to the Dreamcast, this was Sega's last foray into the home console business. By the time Sega decided to cease development of the Dreamcast, about 10 million consoles had been sold. Though the Dreamcast was officially discontinued in early 2001, commercial games were still developed and released afterwards, particularly in Japan.

Many consider the critically acclaimed arcade shooter Ikaruga developed by Treasure to be the Dreamcast swan song. It was released in September 2002 in Japan only after a large amount of speculation on the game's fate; its US release was on the Nintendo GameCube in April 2003. Hacked unreleased games like Propeller Arena and Half-Life continued to become available to the public by program decoders like Echelon. On February 24, 2004, Sega released their final Dreamcast game, Puyo Pop Fever, although a small number of third-party games are still being released, such as Trizeal, released in April 2005, or the release of Rajirugi and soon-to-be-released Under Defeat.

Despite its short lifespan, the Dreamcast is still a very popular and highly-regarded console among many fans due to its impressive library of both mainstream and quirky titles. It is even starting to become a cult classic, as the system is getting harder to find (in fact, although the Dreamcast was officially discontinued in January 2001, Sega continued to produce the console for a short time afterwards due to rising demand, not least among collectors and hard-core fans).

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Speed Devils

Box: 
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£10.00
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£10.00

High stakes gambling & custom car racing through satan's playground! 12 brutal tracks. Race through crowded cities, snow covered mountains and active volcanoes. Take on UFO's, rockslides & a giant fist smashing ape. Challenge 17 diabolical drivers through championships, vendettas and high stakes duels. Tons of alternative routes - can you find them all? 11 screaming-fast hot-rods. Race old school muscle machines or exotic European sports cars. Authentic repairable damage. Buy new cars, pay for repairs or upgrade performance.

Shadow Man

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yes
£8.00
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£8.00

He is coming, stalking criminals in spirit world and real world. A possessed man is coming, a voodoo mask in his chest and lines of power in his back. Shadow Man is coming. Trailing evil from Liveside to Deadside. To stop an apocalypse. To save your soul.

Sega Rally 2

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£8.00
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£8.00

You got the guts for glory? Then rev up your Dreamcast and floor it to the finish line. Bust through those speedbumps in this offroad racing thrill-ride that

Power Stone

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£10.00
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£10.00

Power Stone. With breathtaking graphics and 100% true to the arcade, it's the first go-anywhere -grabanything fighting game on the planet. Swing off a light post, run up walls and pick up items like tables, posts barrels in swashbuckling battles. Plus! Collect three power stones to transform into a raging super being capable of deadly power fusion moves.

NBA 2K

Box: 
yes
£8.00
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£8.00

NBA 2K... so real you'll need an agent. New, Innovative free throw system. Endorsed by 1998-99 NBA scoring leader Allen Iverson. Jaw-dropping player likeness and detail. Player create freaturing full facial morphing. Player emotion for all players including the bench. Over 1,300 motion captured moves and over 100 different dunks.

Mortal Kombat Gold

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£12.00
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£12.00

Your all-time favorite characters return to defend the earth from Shinnok and the evil denizens of Outworld and Netherealm. Mortal Kombat Gold is packed with the Kodes, secret characters, and other tantalizing hidden features that only Mortal Kombat can offer! Choose from 20 lethal fighters, including classic warriors such as Kitana, Mileena, Cyrax, Kung Lao, and Baraka! There are 13 interactive fighting arenas, and some Dreamcast only surprises!

Hydro Thunder

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yes
£8.00
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£8.00

Prepare for the power, speed and thrills of Hydro Thunder super-boat racing! Mighty Hull your way to the finish line of the most treacherous water courses imaginable! With turbo-charged Boosts and monstrous jumps, only your fears stand in the way!

House of the Dead 2

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£10.00
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£10.00

Prepare to send the undead back to the afterlife! Features: From the #1 hit arcade smash. All new gameplay modes, exclusive to Dreamcast. Tons of branching paths for ultimate replayability. Incredibly detailed graphics. Six levels of intense action.

Guantlet Legends

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£18.00
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£18.00

One to four players pit themselves against the vile demon Skorne and his rampaging armies. Save the realms using power-ups, magic spells and items of legend at your disposal. Increase your character's abilities as you play in preparation for the final confrontation - Skorne himself!

Flag to Flag

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£10.00
Manual: 
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£10.00

Start your engines! The CART Championship is up for grabs in the fastest open wheel racing circuit in the world. 19 true-to-life CART circuits including road, oval and street courses. 27 authentic CART drivers from 18 actual teams. Fully customizable cars. Detailed pit crew action.

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